Last week my youngest son and I visited my father at his new home in Tucson, Arizona. He moved
there a few years ago, and I was eager to see his new place and meet his friends.
     My earliest memories of my father are a tall, handsome, successful man devoted to his work and his
family, but uncomfortable with his children. As a child I loved him. He seemed unhappy with me unless
I got straight A's and unhappy with my boyfriends if their fathers were not as "successful" as he was.
Whenever I went out with him on weekends, I used to struggle to think up things to say, feeling on guard.
     On the first day of my visit, we went out with one of my father's friends for lunch at an outdoor café.
We walked along that afternoon, did some shopping, ate on the street table, and laughed over my son's
funny facial expressions. Gone was my father's critical (挑剔的) air and strict rules. Who was this person
I knew as my father, who seemed so friendly and interesting to be around? What had held him back before?
     The next day dad pulled out his childhood pictures and told me quite a few stories about his own
childhood. Although our times together became easier over the years, I never felt closer to him at that
moment. After so many years, I'm at last seeing another side of my father. And in so doing, I'm delighted
with my new friend. My dad, in his new home in Arizona, is back to me from where he was.

1. Why did the author feel bitter about her father as a young adult?

A. He was silent most of the time.
B. He was too proud of himself.
C. He did not love his children.
D. He expected too much of her.

2. When the author went out with her father on weekend, she would feel _____.

A. nervous
B. sorry
C. tired
D. safe

3. What does the author think of her father after her visit to Tucson?

A. More critical.
B. More talkative.
C. Gentle and friendly.
D. Strict and hard-working.

4. The underlined words "my new friend" in the last paragraph refer to _____.

A. the author's son
B. the author's father
C. the friend of the author's father
D. the café owner

     It had been some time since Jack had seen the old man. College, carrier, and life itself got in the way.
In fact, Jack moved clear across the country in pursuit of the dreams. There, in the rush of his busy life,
Jack had little time to think about the past and often no time to spend with his wife and son. He was
working on his future, and nothing could stop him.
     Over the phone, his mother told him, "Mr. Belser died last night. The funeral is Wednesday." Memories
fleshed through his mind like an old newsreel as he sat quietly remembering his childhood days.
     "Jack, did you hear me?"
     "Oh, sorry, Mom. Yes, I heard you. it's been so long since I thought of him. I'm sorry, but I honestly
thought he died years ago," Jack said.
     "Well, he didn't forget you. Every time I saw him he'd ask how you were doing. He'd reminisce (回憶)
about the many days you spent over 'his side of the fence' as he put it," Mom told him.
     "I loved that old house he lived in," Jack said.
     "You know, Jack, after your father died, Mr. Belser stepped in to make sure you had a man's influence
in your life," she said.
     "He's the one who taught me carpentry. I wouldn't be in this business if it weren't for him. He spent a
lot of time teaching me things he thought were important. Mom, I'll be there for the funeral." Jack said.
     Busy as he was, he kept his word. Jack caught the next flight to his hometown. Mr. Belser's funeral
was small and uneventful. He had no children of his own, and most of his relatives had passed away.
     The night before he had to return home, Jack and his Mom stopped by to see the old house next door
one more time, which was exactly as he remembered. Every step held memories. Every picture, every piece
of furniture … Jack stopped suddenly.
     "What's wrong, Jack?" his Mom asked.
     "The box is gone," he said.
     "What box?" Mom asked.
     "There was a small gold box that he kept locked on top of his desk. I must have asked him a thousand
times what was inside. All he'd ever tell me was 'the thing I value most'," Jack said.
     It was gone. Everything about the house was exactly how Jack remembered it, except for the box. He
figured someone from the Belser family had taken it.
     "Now I'll never know what was so valuable to him," Jack said sadly.
     Returning to his office the next day, he found a package on his desk. The return address caught his
attention.
     "Mr. Harold Belser" it read.
     Jack tore open the package. There inside was the gold box and an envelope. Jack's hands shook as he
read the note inside.
     "Upon my death, please forward this box and its contents to Jack Bernett. It's the thing I valued most
in my life." A small key was taped to the letter. His heart racing, and tears filling his eyes. Jack carefully
unlocked the box. There inside he found a beautiful gold pocket watch. Running his fingers slowly over
the fine cover, he opened it.
     Inside he found these words carved:"Jack. Thanks for your time! Harold Belser."
     "Oh. My God! This is the thing he valued most …"
     Jack held the watch for a few minutes, then called his assistant and cleared his appointments for the
next two days. "Why?" his assistant asked.
     "I need some time to spend with my son," he said.

1. Why did Jack think Mr. Belser died years ago?

A. College and career prevented him from remembering Mr. Belser.
B. Jack was too busy with his business and family to think about Mr. Belser.
C. Jack was too busy realizing his dreams to think about Mr. Belser.
D. His present busy life washed away his children memories.

2. Jack's mother told him on the phone about Mr. Belser EXCEPT that ______.

A. Mr. Belser often asked how Jack was doing
B. Mr. Belser's funeral would take place on Wednesday
C. Mr. Belser had asked for Jack's mailing address
D. Mr. Belser had pleasant memories of their time together

3. Why did Belser send Jack his gold watch?

A. Because he was grateful for Jack's time with him.
B. Because he had no children or relatives.
C. Because he thought he had to keep his word.
D. Because Jack had always wanted it during his childhood.

4. Why did Jack say he needed some time to spend with his son?

A. He was very tired of his work and wanted to have a good rest.
B. He had promised to spare more time to stay with his son.
C. He had missed his son and his family for days.
D. He came to realize the importance of the time with his family.

5. Which of the following is the most suitable title for this passage?

A. The Good Old Times
B. What He Valued Most
C. An Old Gold Watch
D. The Lost Childhood Days

     Fat and shy, Ben Saunders was the last kid in hid class picked for any sports team. "Football, tennis,
cricket- anything with a round ball, I was useless," he says now with a laugh. But back then he was the
one always made fun of in school gym chasses in Devonshire, England.
     It was a mountain bike he received for his 15th birthday that changed him. At first he went biking
alone in a nearby forest. Then he began to ride the bike along with a runner friend. Gradually, Saunders
set his mind on building up his body, increasing his speed and strength. At the age of 18, he ran his first
marathon.
     The following year, he met John Ridgway and was hired as an instructor at Ridgway' s School of
Adventure in Scotland, where he learned about Ridgway' s cold-water exploits, Greatly interested, Saunders
read all he could about North Pole explorers and adventures, then decided that this would be his future.
     In 2001, after becoming a skillful skier, Saunders started his first long-distance expedition (探險(xiǎn))
towards the North Pole. It took unbelievable energy. He suffered frostbite (凍瘡), ran into a polar bear
and pushed his body to the limit, pulling his supply-loaded sled (雪橇) up and over rocky ice.
     Saunders has since become the youngest person to ski alone to the North pole, and he's skied more
of the North Pole by himself than any other British man. His old playmates would not believe the change.
     Next October, Saunders, 27, heads south from the coast of Antarctica to the South Pole and back,
a 2900-kilometre journey that has never been completed on skis.

1. What change happened to Saunders after he was 15 years old?

A. He became good at most sports.
B. He began to build up his body.
C. He joined a sports team.
D. He made friends with a runner.

2. The underlined word "exploits" (paragraph 3) is closest in meaning to ______.

A. journeys
B. researches
C. adventures
D. operations

3. Which of the following is the correct order of the events that happened to Saunders?
     a. He ran his first marathon.
    b. He skied alone in the North Pole.
    c. he rode his bike in a forest.
    d. He planned an adventure to the South Pole.

A. acdb
B. cdab
C. acbd
D. cabd

4. What does the story mainly tell us about Saunders?

A. He is a success in sports.
B. He is the best British skier.
C. He is Ridgway's favorite student.
D. He is a good instructor at school.

     Pulling heavy suitcases all day in the summer is hard work, especially when you're a thin 14-year-old.
That was me in 1940-the youngest and smallest baggage boy at New York City's Pennsyl-vania Railway
Station.
     After just a few days on the job, I began noticing that the other fellows were overcharging pas-sengers.
I'd like to join them, thinking,"Everyone else is doing it."
     When I got home that night, I told my dad what I wanted to do."You give an honest day's work," he
said, looking at me straight in the eye."They're paying you. If they want to do that, you let them do that."
     I followed my dad's advice for the rest of that summer and have lived by his words ever since.
     Of all the jobs I've had, it was my experience at Pennsylvania Railway Station that has stuck with me.
Now I teach my players to have respect for other people and their possessions. Being a member of a team
is a totally shared experience. If one person steals, it destroys trust and hurts everyone. I can put up with
many things, but not with people who steal. If one of my players were caught stealing, he'd be gone.
     Whether you're on a sports team, in an office or a member of a family, if you can't trust one another,
there's going to be trouble.

1. What can be inferred about the baggage boys?

A. They could earn much, but they had to work hard.
B. Many of them earned money in a dishonest way.
C. They were all from poor families.
D. They were all thin, young boys.

2. What does the father's advice imply?

A. It is wrong to give more pay to the passengers.
B. Don't believe them if they are paying you more.
C. Don't follow others to overcharge the passengers.
D. It is difficult to work hard and live as an honest boy.

3. The writer can't put up with stealing because he thinks that ______.

A. it is a totally shared experience
B. it is considered as the most dangerous
C. it does great harm to human relationship
D. it may lead to the loss of his sports team

4. It can be concluded from the text that ______.

A. his father's advice helped him to decide which job to take up
B. working in the sports team was his most important experience
C. he learnt much from his shared experience with his team members
D. his experience as a baggage boy had a great influence on his later life